Business as usual as Birkett and McKenzie grittily and efficiently defend Dusi titles

The climax proved taxing, but the overall outcome remained the same as Andy Birkett and Christie McKenzie, both powered to the men’s and women’s Dusi Canoe Marathon titles on Saturday, defending their respective accolades. 

Both started the stage with comfortable leads on Saturday morning and had contrasting days as Birkett meticulously negotiated his way home, while Mackenzie’s two swims were blemishes on an otherwise dominant performance in the women's race. 

Following another flawless day in the boat, Euro Steel’s Birkett said that he was made to work throughout the day due to the high water levels as he raced to his thirteenth win and tenth title in a row. 

“Today felt like a new river for all of us,” Birkett said. “We were just paddling scared, trying to avoid the big rapids.

“I didn’t recognise many of the rapids and was not taking the fastest line and skirting everything on the sides … you could feel the power of the water.”

For Birkett, the adaptation of the race organisers and the fluidity of the event always makes it exciting. 

“The race is not the same from one year to the next, and that’s what makes Dusi special and you have to adapt to the variables.”

Team MyLife’s Msawenkosi Mtolo put in a surge on the final day to post the fastest time of the day to wrap up second overall. With a big deficit to make on the final stage from Inanda Dam to Blue Lagoon, he knew it was going to be a tough ask to beat Birkett, but he is happy with efforts and is already looking forward to the next K1 event in 2025. 

“I started on the dam and felt really strong, but I knew that it wasn’t going to be easy to catch Andy,” Mtolo said. 

“I tried to push as hard as I could to catch him but I know racing Andy is hard but I tried.”

Euro Steel’s